Bound by their shared love for classic indie rock, fuzzy distortion and an organic, collaborative approach to songwriting, the members of Coupleskate met by chance…and on purpose. Andrea and Laura had briefly played together in college at the University of Iowa, later pursuing individual ventures: Andrea began writing under the name Lily Cedar, from which Coupleskate’s earliest material bloomed. Laura, who has played in various bands since she was 16, spent her post-collegiate years touring with Iowa City-based Bottledog, and later Consafos, which was fronted by Stephanie Drootin (of The Good Life, She & Him, Bright Eyes fame).

It wasn’t until 2003 that Andrea and Laura reconnected in Chicago, along with bassist Carol Bales (Reagan National Crash Diet) and drummer Jonathan Durlam (Kaspar Hauser)—who eventually fell in love and were married. The couple bid adieu to Chicago—and the band—in 2006, leaving Andrea and Laura in a position to hand-pick a new rhythm section and, as it would turn out, redefine the band's sound.

Coupleskate was reborn in early 2007 with Lauren Viera (A-Set, Dear Conquistador) on bass and Martha Williams (Action Kit) behind the drum kit. In the two years since, the band’s music has taken a dramatic turn from the gritty guitar-pop captured on its five-song debut EP, "Trophy" (self-released in 2006), to much darker, more complex compositions realized by the musicianship of four multi-talented women who have been playing in bands for decades, and mastering various instruments since grade school.

Spanning from the bittersweet changing of the guard to the new lineup's marathon song-writing sessions this past summer, Coupleskate’s forthcoming debut full-length album, "Don’t Scare the Horses," is a glimpse of a band poised to come into its own. Utilizing both traditional rock instrumentation and forward-thinking string arrangements, the songs that comprise "Don’t Scare the Horses" have both long-time and new-found Coupleskate fans raising their eyebrows—and turning up their receivers.

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